Skałka

of the slain bishop.

Originally, a Romanesque church was built there. King Casimir III raised a new gothic church in its place and since 1472 this shrine has been in the possession of a cloister of Pauline Fathers. In 1733-1751 the church received a baroque decor. It is one of the most famous Polish sanctuaries.

The crypt underneath the church serves as a "national Panthéon", a burial place for some of the most distinguished Poles, particularly those who lived in Kraków.

* Jan Długosz (1415-1480), bishop, diplomat and historian
* Wincenty Pol (1807-1872), poet, geographer and freedom fighter
* Lucjan Siemieński (1809-1877), poet, writer and freedom fighter
* Józef Ignacy Kraszewski (1812-1887), writer and historian
* Teofil Lenartowicz (1822-1893), poet and sculptor
* Adam Asnyk (1838-1897), poet, playwright and freedom fighter
* Henryk Siemiradzki (1843-1902), painter
* Stanisław Wyspiański (1869-1907) poet, playwright and painter
* Jacek Malczewski (1854-1929), painter
* Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937), composer and pianist
* Ludwik Solski (1855-1954), theatre actor and director
* Tadeusz Banachiewicz (1882-1954), astronomer and mathematician
* Czesław Miłosz (1911-2004), poet and essayist, Nobel Prize recipient

Trivia

* There is no woman buried among the distinguished Poles
* Currently (2007) there is room for two or three more tombs in the crypt
* Długosz, Siemieński, Pol and Banachiewicz were originally buried elsewhere

External links

* [http://skalka.paulini.pl Official site]
* [http://www.krakow-info.com/skalka.htm Entry at Krakow Info]